It’s that time of year again – Apple is set to debut its latest series iPhone 16 models his The iPhone event next week Monday, September 9. If you’re planning to upgrade your phone next week, don’t rush to the Apple Store right away when the event ends, because the new iPhones won’t be available for purchase just yet.
Apple is pretty consistent when it comes to releasing new products, and we don’t expect that to change this year. We’ll let you know when we expect Apple to release the iPhone 16 after the event. We’ll also let you know when to download iOS 18 – Apple’s latest software – on your current iPhone.
Want to watch us at Apple’s big event? Here it is How to watch the iPhone 16 announcement. (We will post our live blog link closer to the start time of the event.)
When can I get the new iPhone 16?
While we don’t have a specific date for when the iPhone 16 will be available until Monday’s iPhone event, we can guess the date based on Apple’s past consistency. Here’s what we expect:
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Monday, September 9: Apple’s official event (confirmed)
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Friday, September 13: Pre-orders open
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Week of September 16: iOS 18 is available for download
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Friday, September 20: New iPhones and other devices in stores
Again, aside from a confirmed announcement event, these dates are just speculation based on Apple’s previous iPhone release date. For example, Apple usually opens pre-orders on the Friday after the iPhone event. So, if Apple follows its previous rhythm, you will be able to pre-order the iPhone 16 on Friday, September 13. Likewise, if Apple sticks to the schedule as it has in the past, it will mean that the iPhone 16 is officially available for purchase. Friday, September 20.
What about the new Apple Watch and AirPods expected to be announced alongside the supposed new iPhone 16 series? Generally they also follow the same dates, but there have been some delays in the past. It’s entirely possible that one or more of these anticipated products could hit stores in the coming weeks—perhaps as early as October.
When can I download the new iOS 18?
If you’re not planning to buy the new iPhone 16, you’ll have the option to flash your old iPhone with the new iOS 18 update. iPhone compatible. (Almost all models introduced in the last six years are like this.)
While Apple won’t publicly announce when it will release iOS 18 until the event, we can still speculate based on the past. The latest firmware will be available a week after the event – Monday, September 16th at the earliest, though it won’t be available until mid-week.
We’ll update with official dates for new hardware and software once they’re announced by Apple on Monday.
